The Bandoleer by Noel Henry Published!
The truth in this story, local author Noel Henry writes, is that at one time the Bandoleer at the centre of this story was in the keeping of his wife’s family. They were from the Markets area in Belfast. The Bandoleer did disappear and no one in the family ever knew what happened it! The novel tells a unique tale incorporating part of this aspect as the magic of the story.
In the novel Noel draws upon some historical events which have been important parts of his own life-long journey of learning. Noel stated, “As a student at school I had to choose to study either History or Geography and chose the latter, which I have always loved. However I constantly read history books to fill in many of the gaps in my education, and I firmly believe that understanding our own and world history helps us understand how we humans have arrived at this moment in time. Whether we learn from our history is an entirely different question.”
Here’s the first line – ‘Connie awoke with the rattle of the drinks trolley. She had found it difficult to sleep on the plane with the excitement of travelling to America. Always the first in her family to do things she really hoped that this trip would be something special. ‘Break the mould!’ her grandmother had said to her’.
